Folding support structure



m-w, 1945. H, HOWE I 2,373,760

FOLDING v SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 19 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 15 JINVENIOR 3 144E010 HQWE ATTORNEY April 17, 1945. H. H WE 2,313,760-

FOLDING SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 19, 1942 2 Sheebsi-Sheetj v mvsmok 1444x0 0 (901 4 5..

'B Y a/uaJins w l I ATTORNE Patented Apr. 17, 1945 llaroldzHoweyRowaytoniConn. ;-ApplicationfDecember 19,1342;- SeriaI NO. 4693556 (mail-.88)

.- 2 Claims.

"This invent-ion relattes to a structuregsuch, for, 4

' example; as a tablemr bench comprising-asuppo-rting surface :and "folding sup-port "means therefor; Y

"Folding-structures such "asftablesgbenches and the like -ordinarily *-have"'the disadvantages that even wheniprovided withdocking means their locks (lo-not "always engage whenfithetablejle gs are jfully opened and are therefore easily" dis- -placed, fromTuHy'open position} thus rendering Figure 5 is-a-view similar toFigure 3 showing a" slightly modified form' ofthe invention.

"The term tab1"as used-herein in the specification and claims includes any structure comprising a surface; for receiving or supporting objects, and folding support means therefore The vterm top, vor tabletop, as'used here- "in in 'the specification and: claims includes :any

*"the-structurediablef to collapse, and also the '1egs;:; I

'--are -apt"totfallout "when fimfolded position, as

the ta'ble' is moved "about.

An object of the invention-is'to'overcomethe aforesaid {disadvantages .and drawbacks ofsuch folding structuresxand *tdmrovid-e a simple,

strong, dependalble, and "durable'dolding structure. Mother-objectis'to-provide:such a structure'whichmaybe-readily moved about in-ifolded condition, :and thesupporbmeans of which may ?be"qui'ckly and "completely opened and closed;

Another object is to provide; a foldingstru'cture -in whichth ioldingsu'pportimeans will-be posi- -',tively locked inzopen position, and "held-under pressure,f-but not positively locked, 'in "folded f'PQSitiOIl. Another objectisto-provide-means for 'rigidlybracing--said "folding isupport "means in unfolded-position and means for-exerting force --coa"cting "with-said brace means *to "resist the "initiation of'folding-action. I "The-invention accordingly"consists in -the fea tures of construction, combination of'elements, arrangements'of parts, andfintheseveralsteps and relation and order of eacn'of said steps to "-oneor more 'of the others fi-thereoflfall as will'be prised in 1 a: table as defined 'in the precedin paragraph. l

*Thetable top- H) is shown herein provided with a folding siipport assembly 'coniprising; ithe legs ligand 112'lnftigedg to"' the under surfaee of the tablei'top; by the hing-3* F3 and" F4 res pecti'vely,

andbrefera bly joinecrto'gethen by thecross memjoined by -pivot I 8 to erblock f b depending from memberEIJGb is'pivdt'ally joined to leg' I I by -pivot braces from folding inwardly toward i-the leg 19. inner ends' -o'fbrace-members --l 6a and 'Ifib are pivotally joined together --=by pivot 20, which is x ziositioned slightly out-l of alignment with thef pivots l fif'and 19' and 'sl-ightly above a plane *commomtof-pivots jl8-and F9. "The brace members, 161; andllayare provided with stop means toupreveritthe membe'rs of each pair of hinge more than rto a very limited, predeter- I mined distance which :mayfbe -desirable 'as here- "pointed out in :the following idescripti'om an'dtthe scope of the application of'which will bedndi- "catedin "thefollowingclaims' g Ther-invention will best'ibe iund'erstood ifthe following description is readin connection with "theyaccompanyingdrawings in-which J'Figiire his a- .side elevational View of a table embodying my invention;

'ina'fter explained, while permitting folding :of

the brace members outwardly. *In" the embodime'nlt ofthe invent-ion illustrated hereinin Figoujre's ,21-4, the "stop :means is '-the '=enla'rged head 'h, ,p'rovide'd. at the *outer'end" of each member "lfiaflan'd 1.1a, adapted to abut-j against the cross member 15 when Fthe J'brace members have reached a predetermined position.

,ZWhen' leg I ,':''for example; "is ingopemposition,

. ,andfthelbrace members IB and I 612' are f ully'un- :TEigure2iis ajjplan View OfLtheunder surface V of the rtable :shown" infFigure 1. with the legs J thereof in 'fullyfiolded ,position;

ffiigure f3 isr a, perspective vview, partly broken 'away,. of -a preferred embodiment of ,the invention, showing in solidvlinesjthe support. means in muy; unfolded. position, and. showing .in broken flinesptheflposition ,of dthezparts when .in partly foldedhorvllrifolded position; and

sEigure '4-is.va-.'detai1 view ,onranuenlargedrscale globking toward :the .inner .sidewofronemof. the leg ,andbrace ..assemblies.in nnfoldedrposition;

4;fQ1dd,.-'any.;ioliding pressure on the'l'eg will tend to fold its! brace tmernbersinwardly thus pressing othefihead" h ,of "the, brace. member *IBa, against the crossmeniber [5 anditherebypreventing-the-foldwing of the' brace members either 'inwardlyor outwardly, solong as theflbrace members'remam in fully opened position, and giving increased rigidity to the table.

QSiniilarly thebraceimembers I'Ia-andllb are pivotally joined to the table top 10 and-the-leg 12 respectively by pivots20 and "2i,-zand*their" inner .endsare pivotally .joined together by pivot 22 which is positioned slightly out of line with the pivots 20 and 2!, and above a plane joining the pivots 20 and 21, and their action is the same as that of brace members l6a and I617.

The brace means for the legs II and I2 are preferably interconnected by a cross bar 23. As illustrated in Figures 1-4, bar 23 extends between the brace members 16a and Ila for the respective legs, but it will be understood that bar 23 may be interposed between other like parts of the support assembly, as for example, between the brace members I61) and 1 lb, or between the pivots 20 and 22. free end 25 of a spring member 26, the other end of which is secured to the under surface of the table top by any suitable means. As illustrated herein the edge of the inner end of spring member 26 is recessed at 21, and a bridging channel member 28, provided with a lateral projection 29 to fit in said recess 21, extends across the inner end of the spring member and is secured to the table top, or, as illustrated herein, to the block 3| interposed between the spring member 26 and the table top and fixed to the latter, as I by screws 3!, thus firmly securing the spring member to the table top. I

Preferably, the bar 23 is formed with a reentrant portion or trough shaped slideway 24 in Extending over the bar 23 is the' which the free end 25 of spring member 26 may be slideably seated.

It will be seen that at all times the free end 25 of spring member 26 will exert a yielding force upon the folding support assembly, transmitted in the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, through the bar 23, both when the are fully unfolded, the spring means 26 disclosed herein, or equivalent means, will exert a force on the toggle arms comprising said brace members pressing the stops h against their cooperating stop means which, as illustrated herein, in Figures 1-4, is the cross member l5, thereby preventing inward folding of the brace means, and holding the brace members of each brace means with their intermediate pivot beyond a plane joining their pivotal connections to the table top and leg respectively, thus positively locking said brace members in fully extended position. The spring means thus cooperates and coacts with the brace means not only to resist folding of the table legs, but also to resist movement of said brace members into a position where it is possible for the folding action to be initiated.

When the structure is fully open, folding force exerted on the legs II and 12 will have no effect. Folding action of the support assembly of legs and braces can be initiated only after the brace members have been moved slightly, either by exerting a downward pull on either brace member lfia or brace member IBb, or on cross bar 23, suflicient to overcome spring member 26 and to bring the three pivots of the brace members into alignment, and to move them through aligned position until the intermediate pivot is slightly be yond and below alignment with the outer end pivots of the brace members.

When the brace members are unlocked in the manner described and the folding action is thus initiated, the support assembly will snap from unfolded into partly folded position in a positive manner and thereafter during the folding operation the force of spring member 26 will be exerted in aiding the. folding operation, and in retaining the support assembly in fully folded position, thus avoiding looseness and rattling of the legs and braces when the structure is collapsed and eliminating the need for straps or other means to hold the legs and braces in fully folded position.

In the slightly modified embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 5 the cross rod 40 is substituted for the cross bar 23, and the laterally projecting flange f on brace members I60 and Ila is substituted for the enlarged head 71.. The remainder of the elements of Figure 5 are as shown in the preceding figures.

The application of the spring force as illustrated herein employs the brace members [6a and Ila. as lever arms causing a relatively small spring force to exert a relatively large locking force. The position of bar 23, or the depth of reentrant portion or trough shaped slideway 24, and therefore the distance of the contact between cross bar 23 and the free end of spring member from the under surface of the table top, is preferably determined in relation to the length of the spring member and its resiliency, and may be proportioned to avoid excessive strain on the spring member, the lockin force of which, as stated above, may be greatly magnified by its transmittal through the brace members [6a and Ila acting as lever arms.

The table support locking means disclosed herein may be readily applied to a plurality of folding support assemblies. Where it is applied to a table having two support assemblies each comprising two legs, one pair may be spaced further apart than another pair as illustrated in Figure 2 so that the legs of both pair may lie in the same plane when folded although the ends of one pair overlap the legs of another pair. Otherwise the elements of each folding support means may be the same and I have used like numerals with prime marks to identifylike parts of the second of the two folding support assemblies indicated in Figures 2 and 3. The spring means employed for a plurality of oppositely positioned pairs of legs may conveniently be a unitary spring strip, which may be secured to the table top intermediate its free ends as shown in Figure 2.

What I claim is:

1. A table structure comprising, a top, a cross member extending transversely of the top and hingedly connected to'the under surface of the table top, a plurality of supporting legs secured at their upper ends respectively to said cross member, brace means interconnected between said supporting legs individually and the table top, said brace means each comprising two members one of which is pivotally connected to one of said supporting leg members, and the other of which is pivotally connected to the table top, said members being ,pivotally connected together, and the member which is pivotally connected to the table top having an abutment adapted to abut against the said cross member when the table is in fully opened position, an interconnecting link extending between the brace members of said brace means respectively which are connected to the table top, and a flexible spring-like member secured at one end to the table top intermediate its ends and overlying and yieldingly pressing against said interconnecting link means whereby a force is exerted against said link means tending to maintain said brace means respectively in fully opened position. o

2. A table structure comprising a top, a pair of legs hingedly connected to the under surface of said top, brace means, individual to each of the legs of said pairof legs, interconnected'between I said legs respectively and thetable top, the said said members being pivotally connected together opened position.

and having means preventing said members from folding in a direction toward the table top, and an interconnecting link etxending between like brace members of the brace means-for each of said legs, and resilient means supported from the table. top adapted to exert a yielding pressure upon'said interconnecting link whereby a force is exerted against said link means tending to maintain the brace means for each of ,said legs in fully HAROLD HOWE. 

